Just so you know, I'm basically trying to skip a level of Spanish over the summer. I took an accelerated 101/102 hybrid class this semester and normally should enroll in Spanish 201 in the fall. However, if I take 202 in the fall, I can audit the Spanish conversation/composition classes in the spring and be considered "proficient" in a third language by the time I complete my Master's!
That said, with the help of some of my favorite linguaphiles, I've begun another blog. Each day (or semi-regularly), I'm researching 12 words in at least three different languages: 12 Daily Words
Check it out, tell your friends. And if you know any of the languages, please leave comments or suggestions for some of the vocab lists!
Only one more paper stands between me and summer break! Although, it already feels like summer in Arizona, since it was 105 today (!!!!). I'm not ready for this. But I am ready for my summer break. This has been once of the busiest 9-month periods of my entire life. Grad school, teaching undergrad classes, plus two other jobs and I'm auditing Spanish classes in order to pass proficiency levels in a third language at the end of my master's program.
How am I doing all this?! Alcohol, coffee and sodas are not the answer. I've cut waaaaay back. Adrenaline perhaps?
In lieu of writing my final 8-10 page paper (I'm at a 6-page "English" outline), I'm going to talk about my first experience eating Chilean food. Today we had "completos italianos" a Chilean dish so named because all three toppings are in order of the Italian flag: tomatoes, mayo and guacamole. However, I opted for spicy mustard instead of the mayo and plopped it all inside a whole wheat bun.
Oh yeah, it was also my first time cooking/eating a tofu dog.... and it tasted pretty much like any other hot dog I've ever had before! Being semi-vegetarian/pescetarian has really opened my eyes to a lot of new flavors and products over the past five months.
COMPLETOS ITALIANOS (DE SOYA)
tofu dogs
whole wheat buns
1 tomato
1 avocado
mustard/mayonnaise
Grill the tofu dogs and season with salt and pepper, they will cook on the stove in less than two minutes. Toast buns and chop veggies in small, bite-sized pieces. Mash up the avocados. The correct serving order goes as follows: spread mayo/mustard on the bun before placing the hot dog inside. Then top the dog with guac, mayo/mustard spread and finish with the diced tomatoes.
Bon appétit.
I guess I should get to my final French paper, shouldn't I...
Excuse the absence, it's been so hectic for me teaching undergrads and working on a master's lit degree at the same time. I feel like I've been doing nothing but that since August (which is mostly true). But now that only 17 days stand between me and the end of my first year, I'm hardcore putting off writing my final French papers (three to be exact). I'll spare you the gory details about the comparisons I'm researching between French Symbolist poets and their American avant-garde counterparts.
So in the meantime, I have to let you in on a little secret. I want to move... back to Europe. So I'm looking at applications for the 2013-14 academic year. Number one on my list is currently teaching at a university in Bruxelles (où on parle français, parmi d'autres langues), and then next I guess would be teaching English in France, again. Whether or not I get in, and if so, whether or not I accept, it doesn't hurt to dream. I've never been to the Kingdom of Belgium before, and I'd like to visit, soon!
...P.S. this is in no way an April Fool's joke. Nor are these:
I'm getting very anxious awaiting the arrival of my birthday present, pink Vibrams!! Running is sort of back in my life again, I'd like for us to be friends once more :)
Now that it's Christmas, I'm back to my old baking ways. Or maybe that can be attributed to my lack of motivation to study for finals.
Either way, I am DONE with grad school for the semester and have an entire month to do nothing create my lesson plans for the spring semester. We have a party in both my classes today, since it's the last day of class before finals week.
My contribution to the class party was not related to international languages or studies, as we are a multitude of international and foreign students. Instead, I had to go with the Christmas theme :)
Remember those mint chocolate chip cupcakes I made inspired by my favorite ice cream flavor? Well let's just say the only thing I love more is PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM. It's a tragedy such a flavor only exists from November to January. Try it if you haven't yet, you'll thank me later.
This ice cream essentially inspired my in-class treats this time around (I feel like I'm in elementary school again baking goodies for class parties, NOT grad school).
Vanilla Candy Cane Cupcakes (semi-homemade)
1 box of white cupcake mix
1 T vanilla extract
1.5 T peppermint extract
oil, eggs and water as stated on package directions
vanilla frosting
5 candy canes, crushed
Essentially, I just made regular boxed cupcakes (lazy, I know, but it's finals week!) and then added my own vanilla and peppermint extract. Cook according to package directions. When they cooled, I frosted the cupcakes and then garnished with crushed candy canes.
I can't wait for the class party to try these little guys. I've been so good -- for once! ...Is it 3:00 yet!?!?!
P.S..... Based on my limited income and cholesterol/blood sugar related levels, I am seriously considering following a vegetarian or pescatarian diet as soon as I finish all the meat in my fridge. AKA when I return from Christmas break. How's that for dropping a bomb at the end of a post?! :)
I recently discovered that before obtaining my master's (and in addition to writing a minor thesis) I will have comprehensive exams to pass.
The exam doesn't seem so bad because we have to pick a list of books that interest us and submit it to the French department. From that list, they will draft three essay questions that we'll have six hours to answer. The only minor problem is that my book list will be quite extensive. I need to include 40 (!!!!!) titles on that list.
Being the student I am, I've already begun thinking about my list. I haven't read books in French for nearly five-plus years at this point, so I literally will need to get on this. My area of emphasis is modern/contemporary literature, but most French classes focus on the Medieval period to the 18-1900s. I've only read a handful of books that could fit under my area so I've certainly got a mountain of work looming ahead.
Which is why during Thanksgiving/Christmas break I've picked my first read: Marcel Proust.
I've never read any of Proust, but when I took a French Existential Lit class as an undergrad, he was referenced immensely. Rememberance of Things Past, however, will be quite the undertaking. The version I have (in English, let's be honest here) is over 1180 pages and that's just the FIRST VOLUME. It's a very, very vast piece of work. Who knows if I'll even be able to understand it.
For this reason, I'm begging anyone familiar with French literature for help. Any suggestions on authors/titles I should plan to add to my list or I should check out from the library? I'll take anything from the 1800s-onward. Doesn't really have to be relevant, I just need to come up with 40 books and be able to discuss them at length in the next two years...
I promise I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth.
For the past few days and over the course of the next week, I'm knee-deep into grad school and TA orientation. During the academic year, I'll be teaching introductory French courses and pursuing a master's in French Comparative Literature (maybe modern/contemporary literature through the Italian and English departments as well).
Orientation is going very smoothly. I'm FINALLY meeting people. Foreign people. International students. Multi-lingual people. And it's making me so, ridiculously giddy. I've been speaking a strange mix of franglais (English-French hybrid). My brain doesn't even know what language to speak. I'm accidentally speaking French to the German and Spanish TAs and vise-versa.
IT.IS.AWESOME.
So, I leave you with some scenes from mon film favori: Amélie (Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain)
You're all so encouraging! Since my last post, I've decided to go ahead and accept my grad school/TA offer! Beginning in August, I'll be back in school again, while still working in baseball :) With that, we'll head into last week's "new thing."
Previously, I had never been to the Phoenix Zoo. Nor had my parents (who were also in town over the weekend). After catching a few Spring Training baseball games, I noticed the backs of the A's tickets offered a discount for zoo admission. With nothing on the agenda for Sunday, we ventured out and explored Phoenix. After my morning shift at work, my dad wanted to try a bar/restaurant that was noted in a local magazine as one of the area's top 50 bars to visit.
This place was a total throwback to decades past. Not only did it feature a boxing ring, military surplus shopping, soda fountain and a vintage Airstream trailer that doubled as a kitchen, but there was also a full menu for brunch, lunch, dinner and an array of "vintage cocktails and beer."
While we waited for our lunch to come hot out of the Airstream, we could choose from a pile of vintage (notice a theme here?) board games to pass away the time. My dad grabbed Scrabble, we chose a shaded table in the sunlight and enjoyed the afternoon.
(I won, in case you were curious)
Scrabble is serious business.
I don't know how many times I need to tell you people how much I adore vintage culture and the 1950s, but this really hit it out of the park. The Duce was probably one of the best finds in Phoenix thus far! And we've been to some really cool places in the past eight months. I bet it's crazy fun in the evenings and for happy hour as well. The best part is this is blocks away from my work ;) Needless to say, I will be back. If you're ever in Phoenix you HAVE to go there!
Pleasantly surprised with our afternoon at The Duce, we set off to use those Zoo discount tickets and spend the three hours until closing looking at all the animals.
I loveeeee animals and enjoy going to zoos and water parks, etc. The Phoenix Zoo is supposedly one of the top five zoos in the country and I would completely agree. I've been to zoos in about half the States and even in Europe. The best part about this one was the monkey exhibit.
You literally are in the monkey habitat and they ran past our feet and jumped from tree-to-tree overhead. It was one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time.
Other things I thought were neat:
I finally got to see Black Swan
We were face-to-painted face with some baboons (who, apparently, have rainbow-colored hineys, I missed the opportunity to snap a photo of that one)
Witnessed a domestic dispute between two rhinos. That was intense.
Speaking of domestic issues, we got to hear a male and female lion roaring at one another. It's crazy how loud that is! The lioness even rumbled and shook a little every time she yelped.
I watched a really big kitty bathe itself
I crossed paths with some peacocks. They were everywhere, I even had to wait in line behind one of them at a soda vending machine.
Is it weird I had the following song stuck in my head the entire time?! (Disclaimer, while I LOVE Katy Perry, I do think this is the weakest song on her Teenage Dream album)
Met a rude lizard (dragon, whatever)
And beat a golden eagle in a staring contest. It was like taking candy from a baby.
In all seriousness though, it was a really fun way to end the weekend! I had such a blast. I'm glad I'm challenging myself to try something new each week, or else I might have missed out on a great day! Now I'm off to brainstorm what to do this week...
I have a pretty big decision to make in the next two weeks....
But let me back up for a sec. I was in grad school for sports management two years ago. I only completed a year and haven't finished my degree yet. I was also getting paid to obtain my degree, as a graduate assistant working in the athletics department.
But since I've moved to Arizona, that's not the case anymore. About two weeks ago, I was accepted at Arizona State to transfer my master's units over there, but I would have to start from scratch with a totally new major (French Comparative Literature). I originally applied for a TAship, but was told funding would be cut in the next academic year, so I'd have to pay out-of-state tuition in full, by myself.
No thanks.
But yesterday... (you see where this is going) I received a TAship offer letter! School and insurance paid in full by the university, along with a monthly stipend, provided I teach two French undergrad courses and hold office hours.
I've taught English in France, majored in French and English as an undergrad, worked in professional sports, worked in collegiate athletics and was a journalist for a sports page. Oh yeah, and while I'm working for the Diamondbacks here, I've also been tutoring and subbing for high school classes.
So, do I want to go to grad school and push my interests more towards academic? Or do I want to continue pursuing my athletics profession (which is rooted in about five years of experience now)? OR, can I do both at the same time?! I mean, I kind of already am.
Anyways, I have two weeks to accept or deny my admission and I'm super excited, but also quite nervous! I haven't written or spoken academic French in several years. And oh yeah, have I mentioned that there is a graduate study/TA abroad semester option in your second year....?
I'm excited to see what my future has in store for me :)
Suggestions/comments on my upcoming decision are welcomed and appreciated!!! :)
